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| Mickey & Minnie with the girls |
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Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Fairway/Interview/Pilates
Phil was inspired to hit Fairway in Red Hook after reading Robin's site. I've been to two other Fairway's before- the one on the Upper West Side and the one in Long Island. This
Fairway's isn't as colossal as the one in Long Island nor is it as cramped as the one on the UWS, but it definitely wins
hands down as the one with the prettiest view of the Statue of Liberty and the East River. Plus with the water taxi parked outside...hot damn!
I've always liked going to Fairway's- their chicken pot pie's are so good. And their wide variety of BRITISH GOODS-
from Cadbury chocolates (I'm not an American chocolate fan, but definitely a European chocolate fan- YES THERE IS A DIFFERENCE)
to my favorite PG Tips! They even have spotted dick! And get this- THEY EVEN SELL MY FAVORITE POTATO CHIPS- JAX! I love, loooove, luuuuuurve JAX. Ah, no wonder I can't fit into any of my shorts.
So today I went on an interview (for those of you who knew where I worked last year while I was pregnant, a bigger
hint- Perry...that's where I went). The woman had asked me, "So, Linda, what exactly did you do at Elektra?"
I explained I was the assistant to the Sr VP of Marketing and mentioned some things I did. Then all of a sudden, in
the middle of my job description, I went blank! I was so embarrassed, I said, "Holy cow, it's been two years since
I've been there!" Oh geezus. What a fucking dork! Somebody smack me with a wet diaper. Luckily I recovered
(and after Perry smoothed it out) later on. Hopefully that bad answer didn't leave a bad impression of me.
We shall see.
I'm thinking about taking pilates class to get me back into shape. It's taking me a lot longer and a lot harder
to lose this extra ten pounds. UGH!
Turning Over
A great milestone for Olivia- she turned over onto her tummy (she's 21 weeks)! Bad thing is, she's been crying
like a broken water faucet (thankfully only during the day) and doesn't know how to roll back. She HATES being on her
tummy.
Yesterday afternoon while trying to nap, she cried hysterically because she couldn't fall asleep without getting into
that "right" position. She normally tosses and turns in her crib and sucks her thumb (sadly she is a thumb sucker unlike
Sophia) and falls asleep on her sides. But now that she knows how to roll, she can't control the rolling!
In the middle of the night, Phil was worried about her sleeping on her tummy so he flipped her over. I told
him not to worry about it- I'm sure she would cry (loud enough for our neighbors to hear) if she were in distress.
This morning I found her sleeping on her tummy, still sleeping 12 hours later (we had to wake her up).
Add another food she likes: carrots. Something about the orange colored food that appeals to her...
Monday, June 26, 2006
Dentist Visit/Olivia Eating
Sophia and I went to get our teeth checked today. Sophia was so well-behaved...she had all the technicians and
dentists entertained. She even sat through when I had my teeth cleaned and was constantly asking if "I was okay."
It was my first time in this new dentist's office- under Phil's shitty ass medical plan. I miss going to mine.
They spent a good amount of time cleaning your teeth, checking it, chatting with you, inquiring about your upcoming vacations,
etc. With this one, I was in and out in a fucking flash. My teeth feels halfway clean. And I didn't get
any floss OR a toothbrush. Cheap fucks! Well, at least Sophia got a Dora sticker and an hourglass toy. Shouldn't
they be promoting healthy brushing with her???
Olivia is hysterical when it comes to eating. She will tell you straight out what baby food she does like and what
she doesn't like. When she doesn't like it, she'll do the "boooooooo" noise and will spit it out. She is a real
messy eater. Yesterday I had to undress her before feeding just to avoid getting food all over her onesie. Instead,
they land on me and the bouncer! I hate to compare, but Sophia was NEVER like that. It's funny how they are
total opposites. Her favorites so far- sweet potatoes, pears and applesauce. Her dislikes: peas, carrots,
butternut squash. I haven't tried any pureed meats, string beans, bananas or peaches yet. Feeding
her is gonna be sooo fun...
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Skunked.
So the pottery/ceramic sale did not fare as well as I had hoped. I was very, very disappointed by the outcome. Hopefully we have learned
from it and put together another sale in the next few weeks. But major props to those who came and bought something!
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Cute
I'm helping Sophia color a Dora printout and she says to me, "When you finish, call me."
Who told her she could grow up and say such cute things?
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Father's Day Weekend/Olivia Recap
We usually have dinner at my parents house on Friday nights, but I guess they didn't feel like cooking for us (it was
hot that day). So Phil, Olivia and I went to Avenue A Sushi for dinner while they fed Sophia. I ordered Chilean sea bass (it was alright). Shitty part was, they didn't
have the A/C on and I was sweating while eating. That's a no no! A DJ was spinning some tunes. Only
the acid jazz song piqued my interest.
Saturday, Phil jogged with Sophia (she sat in the jogger stroller) to the West Side Highway's kiddie mini-water park. I stayed indoors with Olivia and tested out the rice cereal with her (she spat it out). Later in the evening,
we all piled into my Dad's car and ate at The Outback Steakhouse for dinner. I ordered the filet mignon which was good. The best part of the evening? THE MUSIC.
You know how much of an 80s music whore I am. My favorite tune was Stand or Fall (by The Fixx).
Sunday we drove out to College Point to pick up diapers and formula at BJ's. We also picked up some hot dogs
and burgers and watermelon for a BBQ at Amy, Pete and Dave's house in Queens (on our way over to their house, Sophia threw
up in the car for the second time- could it be carsick???). The house is pretty big and spacious, with a little
backyard. We shot the breeze with Boog, Fats, Boog's mom, May, Shawn and Lizzie (and watched the World Cup). I
had the itch to play MJ, but no one seemed interested to play (I haven't played in over three years!). Sophia and Lizzie had fun in the blow
up pool we brought along (Joey came by too late to join them). I managed to down three beers, feeling woozy and
exhausted by the time we drove back home. We went out to dinner with Phil's parents, sister, sister in-law, nieces
and nephew.
Some things on Olivia:
- She's been rolling to her sides, even falling asleep on her side.
- When she sits in the stroller, she'll grab her left foot with her left arm and her right hand is in her mouth.
- So far she likes pears. Butternut squash is a toss up. Definitely doesn't like rice cereal. Applesauce
is making a debut today.
- When she takes a bath, she arches her back to look at the showerhead.
- HATES HATS.
- Likes it when I clean her right ear. I turn her head to get to the left ear and she won't budge.
- When she gets antsy while sitting in her boucer, she starts to shriek like a cat. Totally weird.
- The nanny has already started potty training her (holding the bucket to her arse).
- Does NOT like to be lying flat on her back. Which means she doesn't like the Gymini. The only time she doesn't mind being on her back is when we have the mobile on and music toy hung on the side of the
crib.
- Doesn't like being on her belly ONLY when I put her on my legs and make her fly (catch her saliva!).
- Loves it when people are carrying her (which I don't let her take advantage of me).
Today I have Sophia's school's orientation to attend.
If you haven't received an e-mail from me regarding a pottery ceramic sale this Sunday, then check out the e-card:
http://dbo.fractionsociety.com/
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Still Under the Weather
Sophia's been battling this pesky cold/cough for the past week, it has made her lose so much weight, her 3T pants are
falling down. And boy do I hate giving her a Vicks rub down...I feel every rib cage *cringe*. Thank goodness
she loves to take her medicine, unlike Olivia. Olivia just barfs it out everytime.
For the past couple of nights it has been so bad that I forced Phil to have Sophia sleep with us (them two on the
floor). Last night though, was the absolute worst. At one point, it caused her to gag several times because
she couldn't stop coughing. The coughing's been waking us frequently in the middle of the night. She's also been
sweating profusely, even when she sleeps.
Whatever shit we caught, I just hope it leaves us soon (Phil has the cold/cough, upper respiratory infection, Olivia,
cold/cough and I lucked out with just a sinusitis with just a little bit of tickle in my throat). It's been putting
a dampen on our weekends.
Perfect Example
PastryMom was sympathetic to my dilemma with Sophia that she sent me an e-mail. Her friend gave her a great
example of what it must feel like to have a new sibling-
"Getting a new sibling is like if our husbands came home with a new wife one day and told us it was because they loved
US so much they wanted to get another."
I told her if it were me, I'd beat that bitch up.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Troublemaker
Ever since Olivia's been born, Sophia's been testing our patience with us. But lately it's gotten to the point
where I just want to sell her ass for a cheap price to anyone who's willing to adopt her. Just this past week, she's
been:
- Defying her mid-afternoon naps
- Twice biting into a bar of soap (Dove must be tasty)
- Stealing cotton balls from the bathroom and playing with it (she's got a whole container full)
- When Olivia's asleep at nights, she would turn on the musical toy that's hung on the side of the crib, consequently
waking Olivia up
- Pouring a pitcher full of water into our cups and spilling it everywhere on the tablecloth (while everyone was asleep
and I was taking a bath- CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!)
- Turning the stove on (the gate will have to be locked from now on)
- Putting numerous things on top of Olivia's head (which pisses the shit out of her)
- Putting numerous objects in her mouth (ie, her hair clips)
I've tried to-
- Put her in the corner (this punishment is soooo old)
- Slap her hands
- Slap her ass
- Throw away toys that she totally can't live without (she actually says goodbye to them and shrugs it off, she knows her
grandfather will buy her more)
- Flick her (with my two fingers, this hurts, but she's immune to pain)
- Tell her we won't be going to the park, zoo, or whatever we had planned for the following day
- No DVDs
- Explaining many, many times that this behavior is unacceptable
- Ignore her
- Give her the evil eye
What about the "terrible two's"? Nothing ever happened. Infact, she was a total angel. Now that she's
three with a new sibling, she's no longer Sweet Sophia, but a Slick Sophia. I'm literally at wit's end.
Does anyone have the phone number to Super Nanny?
Thursday, June 8, 2006
Jinxed
I knew it was going to happen last night. Sophia coughed in a frenzy at 2:30a. I gave her a Vicks rub down,
a potty run and Phil gave her medicine. A tuck in and she was back to sleep. I think I drifted into a 10 minute snooze
when I heard Olivia crying an hour later. Fabulous. I didn't want to rush in, thinking maybe she'll fall back
asleep on her own. Err, no. If she wasn't sick, I wouldn't have succumbed so easily. I gave up and
fed her. She only managed to drink 1oz before falling asleep. Grrr.
I couldn't fall back asleep, so I read a little. I went to bed around 4a and was awoken a half hour later by Phil's
snores. Wonderful. Then at 6a, Olivia awoke again.
Someone please tell me this does get better???
Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Ah-Choo
It started off with Sophia, then me, then Phil and lastly Olivia. It's bad enough to hear Sophia coughing, but
when Olivia coughs, it hurts me more.
Looks like I'll be lacking sleep for the next two weeks.
Fucking great.
Tuesday, June 6, 2006
Day 2 of CIO/No Nap
I kinda cheated last night with Olivia. Her last feed was around 5:30-6p, so I was afraid she would wake up in
the middle of the night for food. Instead of letting her wake me up, Iwoke her up and gave her some milk around
11p (her eyes were shut the entire time). I fell asleep alittle after 11:30p and I got to sleep through the night without
anyone disturbing me- Olivia woke up at 6a this morning. Yay!
Crappy part was, Sophia was awoken by Olivia's screaming (her attempt to nap) at 6:45ish. Sophia refused to go
back to sleep. I made her sit in the living room while I waited for Olivia to knock out (she did, around 7:15a).
I told Sophia if she wasn't going back to sleep, then she was to read her books quietly and wait for the nanny to come.
I was exhausted, so I went back to the bedroom to sleep and woke up when the nanny came in. Nanny shooed me back to
bed and I woke up an hour later. Thank goodness for her.
As much as I've tried to get Sophia to nap early, she refuses to do so. She'll hum, sing, play with her dog dolls,
hide underneath her blanket, etc. Today, I managed to threaten her by taking her dogs away. A small defeat, she
did fall asleep but only for less than 30 minutes. I'm thinking it has to do with her cold/cough (but don't kids normally
sleep for a looooooong time when they're not feeling well???). I'll have to monitor this for a week.
In between putting Sophia to nap and her waking up, Olivia managed to go nap within three PU/PD, approximately less than
15 minutes. And guess what...she's STILL napping close to three hours!
Well done, Mommy.
Monday, June 5, 2006
Crying It Out
Olivia has always been a great night sleeper since day one. But for the past week and a half, she's been having
several night wakings which has been driving me crazy. The first night when she woke me at 2:30a, I thought maybe she's
just teething (she's been teething for almost a month now). But it's become consistent with the night wakings, sometimes
waking me at 3a, 4a or even 5a. I would remedy this by plugging her with the pacifier. But I would stand
there for another five to ten minutes to pull it out. I don't want to leave it in her mouth all night.
God forbid it falls out of her mouth while she sleeps. Then I would have to repeat the process all over again.
I have been noticing she's grown a bit dependent on her pacifier, so I've cut down on giving them to her during the day.
Then I notice she's also grown accustomed to me and the nanny patting her to sleep. When I say "patting" I should really
say, patting her furiously fast. If you don't pat her correctly, she won't fall asleep. She'll bark right at you as
if she's saying "YOU'RE DOING IT ALL WRONG, YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Sigh. A splittin' image of her momma.
Nevertheless, I had it with both bad sleeping reinforcements.
So tonight, the torture chamber (as Phil would label it) commenced. Olivia usually takes a short nap around 7:30-8p
(her real bedtime is around 9:30-10p). At first I abandoned the Ferber method (crying it out) and gave her the pacifier and tried to pat her to sleep. She was fussing quite a bit, so I said,
hell with it. I'm going in for the tackle. I also threw in the "Pick Up, Put Down" method by The Baby Whisperer. It killed me to watch her cry like a banshee. And her crying sounds as if someone is pinching her. But
I was persisitent in getting this right and you know what? My ears are still ringing, but both crying it out (CIO) and
PU/PD worked. Olivia went to sleep on her own WITHOUT the pacifier and WITHOUT the patting in 45 minutes.
Praise the lord! This is only the first night...let's see how this fares in the next few days.
(By the way, the Ferber and PU/PD methods are NOT for every baby.)
On a side note, here are her four months old stats:
-She weighs in at 13.7lbs, 24" long. She's not nearly as long as Sophia was when Sophia was at her age (she's off
by an inch and a half).
-She's up to drinking 5ozs out of the Dr. Brown's bottles. I really hate these bottles because I have to wash more
crap than I used. But at least it stopped the excessive leaking on the side of her mouth.
-She doesn't care to watch Baby Mozart. She is though, easily amused when watching Dora with Sophia.
-She looooves to play with her crib toy that's hung on the side of her crib (it plays songs and lights up). And
she loves her mobile. Unfortunately the mobile we have is one of those old, cheapy kinds that you have to wind every
few minutes versus the battery run. Ugh, so annoying.
On another side note, this is the first time EVER that Sophia did not nap during the day. Not sure why, but maybe
because she's not feeling well (she has a bad cough). But she too went to bed by 9p.
I don't think this house has seen it this quiet after 9p since Olivia's been born.
Thursday, June 1, 2006
Joong
Every year, I look forward to my 75 year old grandmother's homemade joongs (she's the best!). Here's an explanation to the folklore:
"Back in the day, a patriotic poet (Chu Yuan) drowned in a river. In order to prevent the fishes from eating his body,
villagers wrapped rice in silk and threw them into the river. Over the years, the silk has been replaced by bamboo leaves,
and now we eat these rice dumplings every year (fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar). There are many versions
of this legend, but that basics are the same (guy drowning, villagers throwing in food to save him, etc) After
hearing that he had drowned, the local townsfolk wanted to find his body, they threw joong into the river so that the
fish would eat the joong and not the body. They also beat their drums to scare the fish away, hence the origins of dragon
boat racing."
It gets super hot in the house when making these (it usually takes two days to prepare and cook them). Best
part is, it can be frozen for months! My favorite ingredients in my joongs are the mung beans, peanuts and lop cherng
(chinese sausage). mmm. Infact, a store in Chinatown called " May May" makes them year round.
Good stuff.
One More Thing About the Trip...
Elk Neck State Park beach was absolutely the most dirtiest and unkempt beach I've ever been to or seen. After
paying $4 PER PERSON (unlike per car), you would think they would put the funds to good use. Nuh
uh. Compare that to Coney Island, shiiieet, you're in the Caribbean isles!
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